Burial or cremation containers, referred to herein collectively as caskets, are one of the most expensive elements of a traditional funeral. Costs associated with traditional caskets are attributable in significant part to the material and labor cost of forming a traditional casket of wood or metal material. Accordingly, one way to reduce casket (and hence funeral) costs includes the use of caskets made from alternative materials, such as paperboard. Such caskets are particularly suitable for cremation. However, caskets constructed of alternative materials of paperboard often do not provide as pleasing a presentation of the deceased during the wake or viewing. While advances in the construction of paperboard caskets have resulted in aesthetic improvements, such caskets still lack the aesthetic appeal of traditional wood caskets.
One solution to the countervailing tensions of reducing cost and retaining aesthetic appeal of wood (or metal) caskets involves the use of a reusable rental casket. Specifically, if a casket is desired for a traditional ceremony or viewing but not needed for burial because cremation has been elected, a paperboard casket or body tray may be inserted into a more ornate rental casket to provide an aesthetic viewing experience.
One of the issues of known rental systems is the method by which the paperboard insert or tray is placed within and removed from the reusable casket. In one known rental casket system, a foot panel opens at one end to facilitate insertion and removal of the insert into and out of the rental casket. In such a system, the paperboard tray or casket insert may also serve as part or all of the cremation container. The insertion and removal of the casket insert, however, may be difficult due to friction between the bottom of the casket insert and the bottom of the rental casket.
There is a need, therefore, for a casket system that addresses the needs for reduced cost and aesthetically pleasing presentation without inherent difficulties associated with known rental casket systems.